Sauces

New Year’s Eve is almost upon us, and you’re having a party. So why does
the thought of celebrating in your own home with your own family and
friends make you nervous? The whole world is throwing confetti, and
you’re already saying to yourself, “What was I thinking?”

“Special occasions and special recipes do not have to be difficult or
fussy,” says Sheila Lukins in “Celebrate!” (Workman $19.95), a cookbook
I turn to again and again for menus and party ideas for every holiday
and occasion.

Beautiful color photos leap off the page as Lukins invites you to
celebrate not just Thanksgiving and Christmas, but a housewarming, a
bridal shower, a new job, glorious summer… 43 holidays and celebrations
in all.

The book begins as the year does, with New Year’s, and offers recipes
for a casual New Year’s Day celebration that won’t leave you harried.
Keep it low-key, she suggests, with an open house buffet and food that
will stay delicious throughout the day as friends drop in and out.

“I believe the most memorable celebrations take place at home,” Lukins
writes. “In mine, all celebrations begin in the kitchen, and part of the
fun is deciding what to prepare, creating a menu with appeal, start to
finish.”

You’ll find a tempting array of dishes to serve 24 as you ring in the
New Year. This sumptuous buffet includes the foolproof, doable, yet
impressive dishes we’ve come to expect from the coauthor of the “Silver
Palate” cookbooks.

Party pork tenderloins are the centerpiece with a trio of sauces: Pebre,
a fresh salsa verde with herbs, onions, and garlic (similar to
Argentinean chimichurri); Lemon-Garlic Aїoli and Romesco
mayonnaise, a Catalan tomato- and bell pepper-based sauce that Lukins
combines with mayonnaise for body and a splash of orange juice.

Cook's note: To prevent harmful bacteria from developing, cool stocks quickly after cooking
before refrigerating or freezing. Divide stock into small containers, or use an ice bath: transfer stock to a clean pot and place in a pan filled with ice water, stirring occasionally.

Procedure:

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450ºF.

2. Place meat bones in a large roasting pan in a single layer and rub olive oil over them. (If necessary, arrange the bones in 2 pans to avoid crowding, which could slow down the browning process.)

3. Roast the bones until they begin to brown, about 1 hour. Add onions, celery, carrot, and garlic and continue baking, stirring occasionally, until bones are deep brown, about 45 minutes.

4. Transfer bones and vegetables to a very large soup pot or divide them between 2 pots, if needed. Add wine to the roasting pan and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour this into the soup
pot and add just enough cool water to barely cover the bones, about 12 cups.

5. Bring liquid just to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Using a large spoon, skim off any foam that accumulates on the surface.

From Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family (Workman) by Judy Bart Kancigor

This recipe began as Aunt Sally's conserve, which is a thick spread of fruits, nuts, and sugar. Take away the nuts and you have preserves. Omit the nuts and cut the fruit into smaller pieces, and you have jam. Cook the jam for a shorter time and you have a glorious, fruity sauce with a punch of citrus, begging to be poured over ice cream or cake.

I had never made conserve (or jam or preserves, for that matter) before I tried Aunt Sally's recipe. It became such a favorite that I included it in my Rosh Hashanah cooking classes as a sauce for my mother's Nova Scotia Honey Orange Sponge Cake (above). Talk about easy! I would begin the class by asking for a show of hands: "How many of you have never made jam?" followed by "How many of you can open a can?"